▪ ▪ ▪ The News & Observer put out a call to learn of the women-owned businesses in the Triangle.
In addition to putting together a directory of sorts, we wanted to learn about the atmosphere for women business owners in the region.
Women-owned firms with employees are rising annually, according to the Census Bureau’s American Business Survey. The Triangle is one of the nation’s most favorable environments for female entrepreneurs, according to Census figures reported by financial advising site SmartAsset. That’s due to its quantity of women-owned businesses, startup performance rate and women-to-men pay ratio.
The News & Observer heard from more than 100 businesses — from the business owners and their fans — across a diverse set of specialties and industries.
While many of the women surveyed said they have encountered challenges in launching their companies, they say they have found the Triangle to be a supportive environment, where in particular, women support women and help them thrive.
Here is a list of those businesses. Want to be listed? Email Aaron Sánchez-Guerra at asanchezguerra@newsobserver.com.
Type of business:
- Food and Beverage
- Retail and Clothing
- Professional Services
- Hair and Beauty
- Health, Medical and Wellness
- Handmade, Arts and Crafts
- Real estate, Home and Garden Services
- Education
- Contract Research Organizations
- Miscellaneous
Food & Beverage
▪ A Place at The Table, 300 W. Hargett St., Raleigh. tableraleigh.org. Raleigh’s first pay-what-you-can cafe.
▪ Catering Works, 2319 Laurelbrook St., Raleigh. cateringworks.com. Corporate, individual and special event catering.
▪ Chocolate Smiles, 312 W. Chatham St., Cary. chocolatesmiles.com. Chocolate, handmade truffles, nut clusters, fudge and handmade Easter eggs and bunnies.
▪ Cocoa Cinnamon and Little Waves Coffee Roasters, three locations in Durham. littlewaves.coffee. Coffee shops, churrería and coffee roaster.
▪ Crude Bitters and The Bittery, 501 E. Davie St., Raleigh. crudebitters.com. Cocktail bitters company and cocktail supply shop and classroom.
▪ Indulge Catering LLC, Durham. indulge-catering.com. Catering business that offers private chef services, full-service event catering, person chef experiences, corporate catering and wedding catering.
▪ Julz’s Creations, Durham. julzscreations.com. Artisan small batch pickles, hot sauce, BBQ sauce, and spicy mustard.
▪ KMoCakes, Durham. kmocakes.com. Home-based bakery offering specialty cakes and cupcakes.
▪ Kwench Juice Cafe, 9660 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh. facebook.com/kwenchjuiceraleigh. Juice and smoothie bar.
▪ The Mad Popper, 105 W NC-54, Durham. themadpopper.com. Local gourmet popcorn shop in south Durham.
▪ Meat & Graze, Raleigh. meatandgraze.com. Catering company specializing in artisan “cheeseperiences.”
▪ Mystic Farm and Distillery, 1212 N. Mineral Springs Rd, Durham; whatismystic.com, Craft distillery, cocktail bar and event venue.
▪ OMG Lemonade, 23 Hargett St., Raleigh. omglemonade.com. Exotic and artisan lemonade.
▪ Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar, 5625 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh. relishraleigh.com. Restaurant.
▪ Spreadable Delights, Raleigh. spreadabledelights@gmail.com. Homemade jams, preserves, pickles and health, beauty and wellness products.
▪ Trilogy Treats, Raleigh. trilogytreats.com. Custom-decorated sugar cookies and DIY cookie kits.
▪ Yin Dee, 10970 Chapel Hill Road, Morrisville. yindee919.com. Laotian and Thai restaurant.
Retail & Clothing
▪ Cute Buttons Gift & Paper Boutique, 3708 Benson Drive, Raleigh. shopcutebuttons.com. Paper company that specializes in custom wedding and party invitations, personalized stationery and lifestyle retail products.
▪ dress, 3528 Wade Ave., Raleigh. dressraleigh.com. Women’s clothing boutique with a focus on designer resale and boutique overstock.
▪ Galatea Boutique, 10 W. Franklin St., # 130, Raleigh, Seaboard Station. galateaboutique.com. Boutique that specializes in supporting and carrying locally made, handmade, woman made, fair trade, organic and green clothing, jewelry, gifts, shoes. Galatea Glow candles and body products made by owner Cheryl Fraser.
▪ Little Details, 2670 Timber Drive, Garner. littledetailsboutique.com. Clothing and gift boutique
▪ Luxe Laundry Valet, Raleigh. luxelaundryvalet.com. Mobile laundry services in Raleigh and Durham.
▪ Quail Ridge Books, 4209 Lassiter Mill Road, Raleigh. quailridgebooks.com. Independent book store.
▪ Sparrowood Jewelers, 3201 Edwards Mill Road, Suite 137, Raleigh. sparrowood.com. Jewelry store with a large estate collection, fashion pieces and custom jewelry.
▪ Vaguely Reminiscent, 728 9th St., Durham. vaguelyreminiscent.com. Shop selling clothing, jewelry, greeting cards, gifts and novelties.
Professional Services
▪ A List Models and Talent, Raleigh. facebook.com/AListModelsandTalentNCOfficial. Acting, modeling and talent agency.
▪ aMANda’S Best Friend, 702 N. Blount St., Raleigh. amandasbestfriend.com. Pet care services, including pet setting, “canine cab” and dog training.
▪ Angel Oak Creative, 702 N. Blount St, Raleigh. angeloakcreative.com. Marketing exclusively for nonprofits.
▪ BrainstormingWomen, 8428 Smith Road. Apex. brainstormingwomen.com. Divorce financial planner and coaching
▪ The Brownstone Workshop, Cary. thebrownstoneworkshop.com. Certified life coach and résumé writer.
▪ Calloway & Associates, 8961 Harvest Oaks Drive, Suite 201, Raleigh. calloway-assoc.com. Specializes in financial accounting, information technology and staff augmentation services.
▪ Clairemont Communications, 101 S. Bloodworth St., Raleigh. clairemontcommunications.com. Public relations and marketing communications agency.
▪ Deiter Mediation, 7474 Creedmoor Road, PMB 176, Raleigh. deitermediation.com. Mediation firm
▪ I Fit Out, 3650 Rogers Road, Suite 366, Wake Forest. ifitout.net. Project management consulting offering recruiting, staffing, notary and event planning services.
▪ Jane Rose Events, Raleigh. janeroseevents.com. Wedding and event planning.
▪ JR Photography, Raleigh. jrphotographync.com. Commercial photography, high school and college portrait photographer.
▪ LBE Business Solutions, 315 Hubert St., Office 2, Raleigh. instagram.com/lbesolutions. Administrative support for women entrepreneurs.
▪ Loop Creative, Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill. followtheloop.com. Marketing, design and communications agency.
▪ Management Recruiters of Raleigh, 5171 Glenwood Ave., Suite 350, Raleigh. mriraleigh.com. Professional recruiters.
▪ Melinda Jackson Public Relations, Raleigh. melindajacksonpr.com. Public relations focusing on thought leadership, entertainment and hospitality.
▪ Minas Bookkeeping, 205 S. Academy St., #3401, Cary. minasbookkeeping.com. Accounting firm supporting small businesses with their day-to-day finance management.
▪ MosaicRPM, Raleigh. mosaicrpm.com and tarheeldiscoveries.com. Professional genealogist researching family histories and supporting lineage society applications. Speaker on genealogy topics.
▪ Moss+Ross, 4102 Westfield Drive, Durham. mossandross.com. Counsel for fundraising campaigns, strategic planning, board development, executive search, and interim staffing for central N.C. nonprofits.
▪ Ms. Full-Figured NC Pageant, Durham. msfullfiguredncpageant.com. Pageant and service organization that empowers teens and women who are sizes 12 and up of all races and ethnicities.
▪ Nichols, Choi & Lee, 4700 Homewood Court, Suite 220, Raleigh. ncl-law.com. Attorneys practicing in the areas of administrative/regulatory law, occupational/professional licensing law, employment.
▪ Peak Suites LLC, 501 W. Williams St., #816, Apex. peaksuitesnc.com. Corporate housing and furnished apartments for temporary stays across the Triangle.
▪ Perch Coworking, 102 Hillsboro St., Pittsboro. perch-coworking.com. Coworking space.
▪ PR Pros, 515 S. Blount St., Raleigh. globalprpros.com. Public relations agency for small business, non-profit and corporate clients.
▪ Renewed Hope Financial Services, Knightdale. facebook.com/RenewedHopeFinancial. Resume building and interview tips
▪ Silver Key Career Solutions, Remote offices in Raleigh and Charlotte, specializing in the Triad. silverkeync.com. Professional resume writing, editing & development, personal branding, and career guidance to clients of all industries, levels and geographies.
▪ Smith Sinnett Architecture, 4600 Lake Boone Trail, Unit 205, Raleigh. smithsinnett.com. Architecture and planning for a diverse range of projects in the public and private sectors.
▪ Studio Motif Durham and Danielle Still Co., 3206 Guess Road, Durham. thestudiomotif.com. Event space.
▪ Susan Hatchell Landscape Architecture, 711 W. North St., Raleigh. susanhatchell.com. With offices in Raleigh and Wilmington, specializing in the planning and design of public projects such as parks, urban greenspaces, campuses and transit facilities.
▪ Stories That Polish Your Heart, Raleigh. robinkitson.com. Professional storyteller and public speaker.
▪ Susan Pruskin Consulting, 1135 Kildaire Farm Road, Suite 200, Cary. susanpruskin.com. Intuit-centric bookkeeping and small business advisory services.
▪ Swiner Publishing Co., Durham. docswiner.com. Self-publishing and branding consulting company.
▪ Tomlinson Financial Consulting, 3434 Kildaire Farm Road, Suite 135, Cary. tomlinsonfinancialconsulting.com. Credit restoration services.
Hair & Beauty
▪ Adara Spa, 608 W. Peace St., Raleigh. adaraspa.com. Spa providing facials, massages, nail services, hair, makeup and waxing.
▪ Amber Lynne Beauty, Durham. amberlynnebeauty.com. Make-up artist.
▪ Citrine Salon, 3110 Environ Way, Chapel Hill. citrinesalonnc.com. Salon specializing in hair and waxing services.
▪ Harper’s Parlour, 902 Old Fayetteville St, Suite 109, Durham. instagram.com/harpersparlour. Nail salon.
▪ Heidi Lassiter Permanent Cosmetics, 3211 Rogers Road, Suite 209, Wake Forest. heidilassiter.com. Registered nurse-turned-makeup artist whose clients include cancer survivors and people with Alopecia.
▪ Jade Beauty, 213 Crossroads Blvd., Cary. thejadebeauty.com. Wax and skin-care salon.
▪ Keisha Elise Cosmetics, Cary. kecosmetics.com. Beauty line of cosmetics and accessories for women and girls.
▪ Little Shop of Hairdos NC, 1911 Falls Valley Drive, Loft 10, Raleigh. littleshopofhairdos.com. Hair salon and make-up artist.
▪ Lo & Behold Naturals, Durham. loandbeholdnaturals.com. All-natural skincare company with handcrafted facial care, moisturizers, bug spray, and other bath and shower products.
▪ My Beauté Room, 107 Edinburgh South Drive, Suite 145A, Cary. mybeauteroom.com. Day spa specializing in waxing and corrective skincare.
▪ TLC ... Twists, Locks and Curls, 6600 Six Forks Road, Suite 103-4, Raleigh. twistslocksandcurls.com. Natural hair care.
▪ TresLife. thetreslife.com. All-natural hair and skin care products created by a licensed cosmetologist.
Health, Medical and Wellness
▪ Blissful Healing Spiritual Life Coaching, 113 N. Boylan Ave., Raleigh. blissfulhealing.me. Life coaching with focus on helping professionals navigate life.
▪ Carolina Total Wellness, 3708 Forestview Road, Suite 202, Raleigh. carolinatotalwellness.com
▪ Doulas of Raleigh, 5 W. Hargett St., Suite 404, Raleigh. doulasofraleigh.com. Birth and Postpartum doula services, prenatal classes, new family support.
▪ Durham Family Medicine, 2400 Broad St., Suite 1, Durham. durhamfamilymedicine.net. Full scope family practice clinic co-owned by Dr. Nicole Swiner and Dr. Mohan Chilukuri.
▪ Eyepieces Inc., 6512 Six Forks Road, Suite 504A, Raleigh. 919-870-8126. Optician.
▪ Hearing and Audiology Services, 6675 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 117, Raleigh. Audiology practice that diagnoses and treats problems with hearing, including hearing testing, hearing loss treatment, tinnitus treatment, hearing dispensing and hearing aid repairs.
▪ Hustle Fitness Studio, 158 E. Cedar St., Cary. hustlecary.com. Locally owned and operated fitness studio with classes, personal trainers and corporate wellness.
▪ Integrate Health and Wellness, 133 Keybridge Drive, Suite B, Morrisville. n2greathealth.com. Chiropractic, massage, acupuncture and aesthetic services.
▪ Mindful Balance Massage Inc., 543 Keisler Driver, Suite 104, Cary. mindfulbalancemassageinc.com. Massage therapy.
▪ Remedy, 200 W. Millbrook Road, Raleigh. remedyclinic.com. Holistic healthcare clinic specializing in acupuncture, massage and herbal medicine.
▪ Ritual Raleigh, 7428 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh. ritualraleigh.com. Fitness studio.
▪ Summerfield Custom Wellness, 8801 Fast Park Drive, Suite 213, Raleigh. summerfieldcustomwellness.com. Nutrition counseling and corporate wellness
▪ Synergy Fitness for Her, 1125 W. N.C. 54, Durham. synergyfitnessforher.com. Women’s fitness studio and physical therapy clinic.
▪ Tannan Plastic Surgery, 10208 Cerny St., Suite 204, Raleigh. tannanplasticsurgery.com. Plastic surgery practice offering aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery services.
▪ Womb Buzz, Raleigh. wombbuzz.com. Holistic womb care company to help women with gynecological issues.
Handmade, Arts and Crafts
▪ Art By Sarah Savage, Durham. etsy.com/shop/ArtBySarahSavage. Handmade and hand-painted wood home decor.
▪ The Artisan Market at 305, 305 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham. theartisanmarketat305.com. Collective of over 40 local NC artists, many of whom are full-time artists. Provides a retail home for local artists as well as an online store, workshops and opportunities for customer-artist collaborations on custom projects.
▪ Belna Candle Co., Raleigh. belnacandlecompany.com. Handmade soy candles, goat’s milk lotions and soaps as well as gift packs.
▪ Bull City Music School, Durham (virtual) and 121 N. Churton St., Suite 1C, Hillsborough. bullcitymusicschool.com. Music lessons, audition prep and workshops for children and adults.
▪ Cary Quilting Co., 935 N Harrison Ave, Cary. caryquilting.com. Full-service quilting supplies shop, quilting classes, quilting and finishing services.
▪ Cedar Creek Gallery, 1150 Fleming Road, Creedmoor. cedarcreekgallery.com. Retail craft gallery featuring American-made pottery, blown glass, jewelry, wood and more.
▪ Cynergie Studio, Raleigh. 3201 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh. cynergiestudio.com. Mixed-media painter, illustrator, surface designer offering eco-friendly decor, apparel, and gifts.
▪ Escentuelle by Carolyn Dunne, Cary. bycarolyndunne.com. Custom perfume experiences, handcrafted jewelry and creative arts experiences.
▪ Expressions in Rhythm Studio, Raleigh. eirstudio.com. Performing arts studio specializing in dance and music instruction. Children’s classes in Acro, African, Ballet, Djembe, Hip Hop, Jazz, Liturgical, Lyrical and Tap.
▪ Hint of Mint Designs, Chapel Hill. hintofmintdesigns.com. Design and sell art prints, stickers, greeting cards, hand-painted denim, enamel pins, candles and custom hand-lettered products.
▪ SallyMack, 762 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill. shopsallymack.com. Gift shop that sells jewelry, handbags, candles and works by women artists and small women-owned businesses.
▪ Styled By Jasmine Boutique, sbjboutique.com. Handmade Afrocentric jewelry and accessories, including headwraps, bow ties, jewerly, earrings, handbags and face masks.
▪ Truce Hemp Co., Raleigh. trucehempco.com. Small-batch, hand-crafted hemp-based products, including gummies, CBD oil and balm and other products.
Real estate, Home and Garden Services
▪ Arbor Enterprises, Pittsboro. arborenterprises.com. Landscape contracting company specializing in commercial and residential landscape design, ponds, patios and walkways.
▪ Bull City Maids, Durham. bullcitymaids.com. Commercial and residential cleaning service.
▪ CHC Homes and CHC Homes Realty, Raleigh. chchomesnc.com and chchomesrealty.com. Real estate brokerage, home renovation, staging and consulting on design.
▪ Fernrock Farm, 4500 Hillsborough Road, Hillsborough. Cut flower farm. Visitors can reserve a time to cut flowers to bring home June through September. Offers floral design for weddings and events and classes.
▪ Footprints Floors of Raleigh, 4801 Glenwood Ave., Suite 200, Raleigh. footprintsfloors.com/raleigh. Residential flooring installation and refinishing.
▪ Joy By Design, Raleigh. facebook.com/joybydesignllc. Interior design.
▪ NextHome In The Triangle, 121-B N. Salem St., Apex. maryannwilsonteam.com. Residential real estate services.
▪ Property Specific Realty, 143 Wait Ave., Wake Forest. propspecific.com. Real Estate firm offering full-service brokerage and property management. The Flipping Awesome Renovations division of Property Specific is also led by a woman.
▪ Ronica’s Custom Creations, Knightdale. ronicascustomcreations.com. Custom window treatments, blinds, shutters and shades.
▪ Sapphire Building Supply, 9950 N.C. 57, Rougemont. Facebook. Construction materials.
▪ Triangle Gardener magazine and GardenDestinations.com, Raleigh. TriangleGardener.com. Gardening publication and website that focuses on garden travel and tourism.
▪ Two Men and A Truck, Durham and Raleigh. twomenandatruck.com and facebook.com/TwoMenAndATruckDurham. Moving company.
▪ Yard Wow! Raleigh. yardwownc.com. Yard signs.
Education
▪ Ashley Morris Tutors, 325 S. Wilmington St. #225, Raleigh. raleighmathtutor.com. Virtual, one-on-one math tutoring company.
▪ Briley College Consulting, 1752 Heritage Center Drive, Suite 204, Wake Forest. brileycollegeconsulting.com. Independent educational consulting practice that specializes in guiding students and their families throughout the college search and application process.
▪ SchoolUp Wake, Raleigh. schoolupwake.com. School selection consultant that helps families in Wake County navigate school choice options.
▪ Write Way Essay, Raleigh. writewayessay.net. College application essay coaching and tutoring.
Contract Research Organizations
▪ Channel Clinical, 605 Kirby St., Raleigh. channelclinical.com. A “curated marketplace” for clinical research services supporting clinical trial teams, from biopharmaceutical companies to academic research institutions.
▪ Rho Inc., 2635 E. N.C. 54, Durham. rhoworld.com. Contract research organization.
Miscellaneous
▪ Pump It Up, 10700 World Trade Blvd., Suite 112, Raleigh. pumpitupparty.com/raleigh-nc. Inflatable indoor playground for children’s parties and play activities.
▪ Yes Solar Solutions, 202 N. Dixon Ave., Cary. yessolarsolutions.com. Solar design and installation company
This story was originally published April 05, 2021 5:56 AM.